The final mile

Jana in her homeless look on the final mile.   Still showing an inner toughness and fortitude and smiling.  

So Jana amd I walked 14 miles the fourth and final day through San Francisco's urban detritus.   Old industry, cracked sidewalks, shuttered storefronts, and really nowhere to stop to relax the whole way.   We ended up taking two 15-20 minute breaks on the side of the road.  

So it was 14 miles of almost strait walking over the span of 5 1/2 hours.  The final mile we were like two zombies with our feets on fire.

But we made it.   Before we left, I would have given our chance of sucess at 50/50.  

Congrats to us.

The End

Yesterday, we finished our walk. I was too exhausted to write then, so I'm doing so now.

I was very, very, tired yesterday. At one point, I was walking past this hipster store with huge windows, and there was a guy working on his computer next to the window. I looked fairly homeless between my backpack and sweatpants, and hat, and when there was a gust of wind, I slammed into the window. He looked at me funny. 

Like, crazy chick.

The ride back on the train was fairly long, and my feet hurt the whole day. I could hardly walk back to the car.

Last pictures. 50.02 miles!

Thirty seven to forty two

Windy

The wind has picked up significantly, and with what seems a crazy fury.   This is a wind you would almost never see in Santa Clara, but we are not seeing a rising panic in the streets, so maybe it is normal in these parts.

We had two good replacement sticks to walk with today, one each, and cognizant that we lost the first one, we were careful all day to take care with them.  but after walking into ten different hotels looking for a room and leaving the sticks outside time each time, we now find ourselves without them, and cant figure out where they went.

We are in a "King Suite", the last room available in the hotel, after being told from all other hotels that they were "fully booked".   What would have been shocking just a few years ago, the word "suite" in hotel lingo no longer seems to mean two or more rooms.  In this hotel it seems to mean that there is a fold out couch next to the bed.   Not even a mini fake wall separating the two,   Just a couch next to the bed.   Words meaning differently from what they once meant.  The world changes slowly in sometimes small bizarre ways.

After sleeping the past two nights on the floor,  I at least have a mattress this time, but now my arms are itchy and I am scratching.   I am hoping there are no bed bug issues here.

Jana sitting by some water pipes:

Miles 31-36!

Chopped 'n' Hotel Vacancy

I'm watching Chopped in the hotel room, and it's a commercial break, so I'm blogging. 

Today, my internet wasn't working out right, so I couldn't upload my last post. I still can't upload from the app. 

We walked around the town looking for dinner, and I settled on a starbucks panini and a yogurt. 

Today, we planned a short day, but ended up going longer as almost every hotel had no vacancy. 

Tata

30 miles!

I'm sitting at a table, with a vanilla bean frappichino from Starbucks. They messed up with the caramel I ordered, and only put it on the whipped cream, not on the sides or blended in as typically. Did you know they charge extra for -this much- caramel? Cheapos!

We left our pet stick at the hotel, and it's truly a shame because we got it at the Stanford campus. It has been with us a long time. 

We're at Burlingame, and I can't decide whether it's 'Burlin-game,' 'Burling-ame,' or 'Burling-game.' If it's the latter, it really should be spelled Burlinggame. 

Until we meet again.

To Stick

We lost Stick this morning.   We initially found him waiting for us on the ground while we were walking through the eucalyptus trees on the stanford campus and he was the perfect size for walking with.   Throughout the day yesterday for 15 miles, at every mile marker one of us would hold the phone (for our mileage pictures) and one of us would walk with Stick.    We would trade the phone and Stick off every mile. And when we went inside somewhere we left Stick  outside and then got him again on the way out. 

When we left the hotel this morning it was a mile on when we realized we had left him in the hotel room.   Too far to go back.

We already miss him.

Miles 26-26-27-28-29-30

6 in 1!

16:17:18

13 forteen 15

This is a long day

I think we didnt think this through when we arranged for the stone villa inn tonight.  Its 14 miles from where we left this morning plus jana has been telling me that it has lower customer ratings than the travellodge last night, which does not bode well.

On the plus side,  we should be half way to SF at the end of today.

Here is a nice picture of Jana in Atherton.  Don't get me started about Atherton.

13:20

After waking up, and walking through Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, and Redwood City, we've landed ourselves in San Carlos. 

The walk through Atherton was less than pleasant with the absence of sidewalks to keep the common filth like us out, but we prevailed and took a thorough detour, winding through the posh, nicely housed streets of Atherton. 

In Redwood City, we stopped at a target, and I got a ten dollar 'personal pizza' and breadsticks combo. In San Carlos, I've invested in a watermelon Arizona drink, and it is currently beside me. Tasty!

Faretheewell!

10, 11, 12!

And:

Palo alto. Day 1 stop

Well we made it to the travellodge here in palo alto.  Mileage mark 12.04 miles.   Between us we have four very sore feet.   Did I mention our sore feet?     

About a mile back we stopped at a CVS and not knowing the level of offered amenities at the hotel we bought a handful of travel size items.   Shampoo, lotion, etc.   now we have both taken showers and have our feet swathed in lotion and clean socks.   Both on our phones.   Maybe this is just the way people live these days.

Having said that, as I blog on the blogger app on my phone, the map app on my phone just showed me that there us a deli about a quarter of a mile back that makes sandwiches.   I will go back and get something for the two of us and spare Jana the agony if having to walk with me.

Mile 7, 8, and 9!

And:

Quatro Cinco Seis